I want to get my son (17 years old) a car in which is safe and "somewhat" ;) nice too. I don't want to do anything Japanese, and preferably not American.

I have been looking around and have seen many 2000 - 2003 BMW X5's for around $16,000. Most of them are with the good V8 engine? Why are they (relatively) inexpensive? They seem like a really good deal.

Should I go with the X5, or are there better cars for the money out there?

Thanks for the help!